The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 2390 contributions
COVID-19 Recovery Committee
Meeting date: 16 September 2021
John Mason
On a different issue, I understand that the regulations are going to be introduced quite late on and will be subject to the made affirmative procedure. Would it be possible to bring them forward a little bit so that we can approve them before the end of September?
COVID-19 Recovery Committee
Meeting date: 16 September 2021
John Mason
Therefore, from a legal point of view, would it be tidier, neater and better if we were just to close all the football stadia and everything else at midnight, because that would be fair and would treat everybody equally?
COVID-19 Recovery Committee
Meeting date: 16 September 2021
John Mason
Thank you.
COVID-19 Recovery Committee
Meeting date: 16 September 2021
John Mason
One football fan suggested to me that, as a season-ticket holder, there could be a one-off check of his vaccination certificate for the whole season, so that he would not need to be checked a second time. Is that approach feasible?
COVID-19 Recovery Committee
Meeting date: 16 September 2021
John Mason
You suggested a visual check. Would that not make it even easier for somebody simply to copy a QR code? The point was made that you could not check the connection between the passport, or certificate, and the ticket for the game. Is that the case? Could a certificate just be copied and a lot of people use the same one?
COVID-19 Recovery Committee
Meeting date: 16 September 2021
John Mason
I am a passionate fan but, sadly, my club does not get 10,000 fans.
On spot checking, I think that you said that you do not want a fixed percentage. Can you suggest what percentage of fans would be spot-checked if that approach was taken?
COVID-19 Recovery Committee
Meeting date: 16 September 2021
John Mason
That was helpful. Professor Leitch, do you wish to add anything?
COVID-19 Recovery Committee
Meeting date: 16 September 2021
John Mason
I take your point that, in a sense, the wider the system, the simpler it is. I understand that the idea was that the system should be quite narrow so that it affects fewer people. Is it your argument that it would be better to say that people will need certification to get into any premises that serve alcohol and are open after a certain time—say, midnight? That would include not only nightclubs but pubs and restaurants.
COVID-19 Recovery Committee
Meeting date: 16 September 2021
John Mason
Mr Stevenson, you were laying it on pretty thick that this is going to be impossible to do, but the reality is that loads of other countries have vaccination passports. I think that Greece started its system in July, and France, Switzerland and many others have such a system. They seem to have managed it, so what is the big problem here?
COVID-19 Recovery Committee
Meeting date: 16 September 2021
John Mason
My next question is for Dr McMillan from the Law Society. I was interested in what your submission says about the concept of discrimination. You suggested that there had been a case—I will not even try to pronounce it, but it was in the Czech Republic—in which the courts said that it was not discrimination and that it is legal to have passports, certificates or something along those lines. That case particularly affected children.
On the other hand, you raise the point that introduction of a certificate could be discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 because certain groups have not been vaccinated. Will you tell us where you are with that? Is the law changing? Are we uncertain?